Key action for typewriters and other machines



May 20, O u DESHA KEY ACTION FOR TYPEWRITERS. AND OTHER MACHINES Filed Jan. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l- May 20, 1930. o. u. DESHA' 1,759,441

KEY ACTION FOR TYPEWRITERS AND OTHER MACHINES Filed Jan. 27, 1928 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1930 T uarrsn STATES ORVILLE UfDESHA, OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO THE DESEA TYPELEX TRUST ESTATE, 033 FORT COLLINS, COLORADO KEY ACTION FOR TYPEWRITERS AND OTHER MACHINES Application filed January 27, 1928.

In regard to certain more specific features thereof my invention relates to improvements in the associated and coacting parts of a key mechanism of a machine whose actuating means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever move the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever; said mechanism embodying coacting means reversely breaking the said connection after the printing impact of the type bar for the return of the type bar to its normal position while the key lever is in depressedposition;

and also including coacting means for restoring said connection to normal operative position upon release of the key leverjthis broad object being the subject matter of an application filed by me on November 5th, 1923, Serial No. 672,871 upon which Patent 1,648,203 issued September 20, 1927, as a contradistinction between previousdevices comprising a detachable connection or gap at some point between the key lever and type bar after the latter has been giventhe movement necessary to effect the printing and before the key lever has completed its cycle of movement.

Among the objects of the present invention, the applicant has endeavored: First, to improve theconnection between the key lever' so and type bar which will provide, among other features, a key action which will be efficient in use, rapid and reliable in operation and which shall have alight touch for operating the type bars, and reduce the liability of the type to collide or pile when operated at high speed. Second, to provide a key mechanism of the above character having few parts simple in construction which will be cheap to manufacture, convenient and easy to arrange and assemble compactly, and construct a key mechanism as to be but little likely to get out of order in usual operation.

he application also endeavors to point out a clear distinction between this and his copending applications Serial No. 55,227 filed September 8, 1925 and Serial Nos. 17 8,083, 178.084, 178.085, 178,086. 178,087, 178,088 and 17 8.089 filed March 24, 1927.

My invention, accordingly, consists in cer-' Serial No. 243,875.

construct-ion, and arrangements of parts, that tion of the accompanying two sheets of drawings and the following specification, the scope of the inventlon being indlcated 111 the appendlng claims. I

My invention is especially applicable to the usual hand operating machine, as distinguished from a motor driven machine, and is shown in the present case embodied in a machine similar to the Underwood standard typewriter. It should be understood, how ever, that the invention is not restricted to use in a machine of this type, but may be emloyed wherever found available.

Within the limits of reasonable clearness, the applicant has endeavored to disclose and describe the construction of the mechanism and manner of its operation and its use. in language comprehensible to those versed or skilled in the art who would make or use the device suflicient tosatisfy the requisites of this application without enumerating every obvious object and advantage or pointing out all the difiiculties and troubles which are cured or ameliorated by his improvement over the present state of the art.

Fig. I is a sectional elevation of a typewriting machine taken longitudinally and about centrally thereof, constructed in accordance with my invention and showing elements of one key action only in normal'position, and also showing so much of the usual mechanism as is necessary to illustrate how my invention may be embodied in such machine. Fig. II, represents a view of the keymechanism similar to Fig. I, the key lever being shown depressed and responding the type bar. Fig. III is a key mechanism similar to Fig. I, the key lever being shown in a depressed position and the typebar responded i to printing position. mechanism similar to Fig. I, the key lever being shown in a depressed position and the type bar returned to its initial position. In

Fig. IV is also a key this manner the key lever may be held down to its limit of movement and the type bar will complete its path of travel to effect the printing and move out of engagement with the platen and complete its cycle of movement regardless of whether or not the key lever is released, thus relieving the key lever of work during the impact printing operation.

"The following detailed description sets forth the best mode in which the applicant erence characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views,and in order to facilitate observance of a clear distinction between this and copending applications, the reference characters also indicate, as far as practical, the corresponding parts in the several views of my copending applications re- In the embodiment in F 1g.

ferred to above. I, more in detail, in which one form of type action is shown as applied to a typewriting machine to which it is particularly adaptedl 1 indicates the typewriter frame-l indicating the front and 1 the rear. 2

5 indicates a-common platen mounted as usual to travel longitudinally acrossthe rear upper portion of themachine upon a card mechanismn As the carriage mechanism forms no part of the present invention. specific disclosure and "description thereof is omitted as its broad function is .well known. 6 indicates one of a series of type bars being radially arranged in a curved row about the same center and are movable about their fulcrum pivot rod-9 on a type bar segment 10, from a horizontal or forwardly extending radial position E as the type forms are (Sr and is brought against the front face of the platen 5 to a common printing point A, to an upright radial position F, the 3e T printing by impact in contradistinction to pressure. Each type hammer 7 is provided with two printing characters 7 and T 'SHbjQClJ' to a shift mechanism determining their printing contact at printing point A. However, as

the shift mechanism forms no part of the present invention except in so far as it may be operated by the type bar in the usual manner it is thought that a specific disclosure and description thereof may be omitted as its broad. function is well known. 12 indicates one of a series of key levers carrying at the front end finger key 13, the rear end pivoted at l lto bar 145* in the rear of the machine,

and is kept normally in its elevated position by the usual spring 15 supported by bar 15. at normal rest the key lever bearing the underside of'stop'bar 15 above the key lever 12. Key lever. 12 is formed with angles 16 and 16 arranged to provide a rear up ward angular space for pivot rod 19 and its supporting bar 20; and provides a lower. forward angular space 17 for a key lever arrestor 17 hereinafter described. I

18 indicates'one of a series of biangular vibratory levers vertically disposed and corresponding in number with the type bars 6.

of the type bar and upper end of the vibratory lever. At the lower end. of the series of vibratory levers 18 between the vibratory levers on the pivotal axis 19 thereof is mounted one of a series of sublevers 21 having upwardly and forwardly extending arms 21 and 21. Each of the sublevers 21 is operatively connected to a key lever at pivot 21 intermediate the ends of said key lever by a pin and slot connection. The upper arm 21 of the sublever 21 and itspivotal connection 26 with the forward thrust link 23'operates within the forwardlower angle space of the biangular vibratory lever.

The key lever 12 is described having two incidents ofoperation before completing its operative cycle, namelyz the incident of depression and the incident of release. lhe

incident of depression is disclosed by the movement of the key lever 12 from radius B to radiusC, and the incident of release is disclosed by the movement of the key lever 12 back from radius C to radius The type bar 6 is described as having two incidents of operation, before completing its op erative cycle, namely: incident of response and incident of recoil; The incident of response of the typebar 6 is disclosed by the movement of the type bar from its initial rest radius E to printing point. A, at radius F, forming arc G from pivot 9. The incident of recoil of type barb is disclosed by its movement from the printing point A back lit to normal rest E thereby completing its op- I erative cycle. These incidents of operation are, of course, common in nonreversely breakmg type bar actions in so far as the incident of response, E to A, of the type bar 6 occurs simultaneously with the incident of depression, B to G,,of key lever 12, and the incident of recoil, A to E, of the type bar occurs simultaneously with the incident of release o to B, of the key lever. In other words. th

operative cycle of the type bar and that of the key lever are simultaneous in a nonreversely breaking connection, but the broad relative to the correlation of incidents of operation of the keylever with that of the type bar is in providing the operative expedient by which both the incident of'response, E to A, of the type bar and the incident of recoil," A to E, occur during the one incident of depression, B to C, of the key lever, the type bar completing its operative cycle while the operative cycle of the key lever is only half complete. This operative expedient is accomplished in this case by a trip link coupling comprising a forward draw link and a forward thrust link 23 pivotally connected to each other at 24 and the rear end of the draw link 22 connects with the vibratory lever 18 at pivot 25, intermediately the ends of said vibratory lever. and the rear end of the thrust link 23 being pivoted at 26 to the upper arm 21 of the sublever 21.

I The new mechanical structure, combination of parts and operation thereof are the important factors of the invention in pro viding the desired function of the key action. A further description of the operative principle, therefore, follows: It is necessary that draw link 22 be of such length and of such form as to permit the pivotal connection 26 to oscillate between the pivotal ends 24 and of said draw link in crossing and recrossing a reverselybreaking line J drawn through the latter pivots thereby permitting the elements of said coupling to interlock or fold during normal position, Fig. I, movingthe type bar 6 to printing point upon depression of the key lever 12'and unfold, Figs. III and IV, returning the type bar 6 to normal position while the key lever 12 is held depressed. The characteristic form of the drawlink 22, therefore, is preferably curved upward and is the major in length of the trip link coupling, and draw link 23 being the minor.

27 indicates a cross section of a trippet pan extending across the machine arranged in the upward forward angular space of the sublevers 21 and forwardly thereof, and providing a seat rest and trippet means for the forward pivotal connection 24 of the ends of draw links 22 and thrust links 23. The trippet pan 27 stops the pivotal ends 24 of the draw link 22 and thrust link 23' and effects responsive or operative tension lock of the thrust link 23 as the key'lever 12 is being depressed from radius Bto radius C. This operative tension lock of. the forward thrust link 23 is also described as contractive tension lock or thrust meaning that whilethe key lever 12 is being depressed, the energy required to respond the type bar 6 effects contractive pressureor thrust from pivot 26 to pivot 24 instead of expansive tension or pull. Simultaneously with the contractive tension lock of the forward thrust link 23, the draw link 22 operates under expansive tension between its pivotal connections 24 and 25 while the key lever 12 is being depressed from radius B to radius 0 to respond the type bar 6 from radius E to printing point A. And the expansive tension of the forward draw link 22 being relaxed while the type bar6 continues the incident of response from radius Ea Fig. II to printing point A.

The pivotal connection 25 of the draw link 22=and vibratory lever 18 isin the rear of a perpendicular line drawn upwardly from pivot 19, hence when the vibratory lever 18 moves forward radially the pivotal connection 25 of the rear end of the draw link moves forwardly and upwardly. As previously indicated, the upward arm 21 of the sublever 21 extends substantially vertical from its pivot 19, and as the pivotal connection 26 moves forwardly it also moves downwardly.

A further description of the key action follows: Dotted line M M indicates tliecorrelative relationship of the elements of the trip link coupling during the process of operation, namely: Dotted line M M Fig. I shows where the normal position of pivotal connection 26 is above a reversely breaking line J J drawn through the forward pivotal connection 24 and backward pivotal connection 25 of the elements of the trip link coupling, said position interlocking the elements of said coupling effecting response of the type bar 6 during depression of the key lever '12.

-Dotted line M M Fig. II shows the alignmentof the tri-pivotal connections 24, 25 and 26 of the elements of said coupling on thereversely breaking line J J drawn through pivotal connections 24 and 25 at the time the type bar responds to about one-half of its incident of response, as shown in Fig. II, the mo: mentum thereof completing-its response or impact at printing point A as shown in Fig. Ill Dotted line M M Fig. III shows where the intermediate pivotal connection 26 connecting the forward thrust link to the sublever has moved below a reversely breaking line J J drawn through pivotal connections 24 and 25 of the elements of said coupling; hence said coupling reversely breaks about the time the type bar impacts the printing point. Dotted line M M Fig. IV

shows that the forward pivotal connection 24 of the elements of said coupling has moved upwardly out of the trippet pan 27 while the type bar recoils from the printing point A back to its normal rest E while the key lever is held depressed.

The applicant endeavors to provide a key action wherein the incident of recoil of the tvpe bar is relatively quicker than the incident of response ofsaid type bar in order that the type arc G may be cleared as quickly as possible when several keys are being manipulated in rapid succession. This operative expedient is accomplished by a key lever arrestor 17 adjustable by a screw 17 carried by a fixed bar 17 arranged beneath the key lever, upward surface of said key lever arrestor 17 communicating with the lower edge of said key lever 12 Fig. II, limiting the downward movement of the latter before the typebar has completed its incident of response. It will be observed that when the key lever arrestor 17 limiting the downward 'movement of the key lever before the type bar completes itsmovement to the printing point the connec tion between said 'key lever and type bar will 'assumea rigid resistence tending to prevent the type bar from continuing its incident of response, but the inherent resiliency of the .inechanism will permit the momentum of-the type bar to continue its response from radius Ea' to printing point A effecting impact However the tension. strain under which the mechanism connecting the type bar and key lever is subjected to by the key lever arrestor 17 a limiting the downward movement of the key lever about the time the type bar impacts the printing point effects a relatively quicker incident of recoil of the type bar than its incident of response thereby clearing the type are G of recoiling type rela tively faster than said arc may be filled by responding type;

It is important that means shall be provided to expedite the return of the reversely breaking actuating coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

"This is accomplished by a series of actuating return levers 28 corresponding in number with the key levers 12 and draw links 22.

Return levers 28 may be pivoted at 29 interinediately of their ends on a fulcrum rod extending across the machine above the key levers in the rear of the pivot bar 20 of the vibratory lever 18, or preferably said fulcrum rod 29 be supported at the rear of pivot bar 20, as shown. At either end of the actuating return lever 28 is provided a frictionless roller bearing 28 and 28",; Thefrictionless bearing 28 carried by the upper end of theactuating return lever operates within theupper rear angle space provided by the biangular vibratory lever and communicates with the upper rear edge of the forward draw link 22 upon return of the type bar 6 to normal position while key lever 12 is in depressed position, as shown in Fig. IV. The frictiontionally struck keys; but the present invention provides the exigency than when the finger key 13is slowly depressed, the type 7' responds to the degree on are G corresponding to the radius of depression of the key lever 12 and fromv there it automatically recoil without having impact with the platen. This in: herent exigency of my invention is referred to as the operative expedient by which type bars responding to slowly depressed keys automatically recoiled without interfering with responding type. vThis operative expedient is accomplished bythe cross section of the trippet pan 27, partially described above, 'beingslightly inclined forwardly and upwardly, and upon depressionof the key lever 12 the inclination of said trippet pan causes the pivotal connection 24 of thefelements of the coupling to slide on said pan forwardly and upwardly as shown in Figs; II and III. The type bar having no momentum when the key lover is being slowly depressed,the trippet pan pushes the forward pivotal connection 24 of the elements of the reversely breaking to V coupling upwardly and the latter out of their I i interlock position about thetime the type bar 6 radiates one-half or two-thirdsof arc G,

as shown by radius Ea Fig. II, and without printing impact it drops back to its normal position of rest E, as shown in Fig. IV.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical type action which will be rapid and efiicient in use, ac-

complishing, among others, all of the objects and advantages above set forth, therefore the operation and method ofuse of a type action of this characteris believed to .be perfectly clear from the above description, a reiteration thereof is believed to be unnecessary. As many changes could be madein the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof it is intended that all matter contain- 7 ed in the above description, or shown inthe accompanying drawings,shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, and varitations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions-of the improvement may be used without others.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: V

1. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a key lever, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a biangular vibratory lever and a sublever'independently rotatable about a common pivot,

a trip link coupling operatively connecting the vibratory lever andsublever for moving the type bar to the printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after the printing impact of the type'bar returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring sa d sublever and sublever comprising a reversely breaking actuating connection moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of key lever, means reversely breaking said connection after printing impact of the type bar for returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said sublever'andreversely breaking actuating connection to normal operative position upon release of the key lever. I

3. In akey action for a typewriting machine, a key lever biangular intermediately of its ends, said key lever having a rear upward angular space and a lower forward angular space, a type bar, means operatively connecting the type-bar and key lever comprising a biangular vibratory lever and a sublever independently rotatable about a common pivot supported by a bar extending across the machine within the upward rear angular space of said key lever, a reversely breaking actuating coupling operatively connecting the vibratory lever and sublever moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar for returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said sublever and coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

A. In a typewriting machine, a key lever, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising an angular sublever with upwardly and forwardly extending arms forming the angle thereof, the forwardly extending arm of said sublever operatively connecting the key lever intermediately the ends of the latter, a'type bar, a vibratory lever arranged to actuate the type bar, a common pivot axis for said vibratory lever and sublever, a reversely breaking actuating connectionoperatively connecting the vibratory lever and upward arm of said sublever moving the type bar to printing point upon degression of the key lever, means reversely V reaking said coupling after the printing impact of the type bar for returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said sublever and coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

5. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a key lever, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a sublever, 'a reversely breaking actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link and a forward thrust link operatively connecting the vibratory lever and sublever for moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said connection after the printing im-' pact of the type bar for returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said sublever and coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

6. In a type key action and mechanism, a type bar, a key lever, an angular sublever operatively connected to the key lever, a forward thrust link operated by said sublever, a. forward draw link operated by said thrust link, a biangular vibratory lever operatively connected intermediate of its ends to the rear of the draw link, a type bar operatively connected to said vibratory lever moving to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said mechanism after the printing impact of the type bar, for returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said sublever, draw link and thrust link to normal position upon release of the key lever.

7 In a mechanical movement for a typewriter key, a type bar, a key lever, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising an angular sublever with arms extending upwardly and forwardly forming the angle thereof, means operatively connecting the vibratory lever and sublever comprising a forward draw link and aforward thrust link, a forward border pivot operatively connecting the fbrward ends of the draw linkand thrust link, a backward border link to the vibratory lever intermediately the ends of the latter, an interior pivot connecting the upper arm of said sublever to the rear end of the thrust link above a reversely breaking line drawn through said border pivots operatively interlocking the elementsof said coupling for moving the type bar to the printing point upon depression of the key lever, means actuating said interior pivot downwardly across and below the reversely breaking line drawn through said border pivots reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said interior pivot to its normal interlocked operative position above said reversely breaking line upon release of the key lever.

,110 pivot connecting the rear end of the draw r ineans operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a'biangula'r vibra- .tory lever with upper rearangle space and lower forward angle space the vertex thereof extending rearwardly, an angular sublever with armsextending upwardly and forward ly forming the angle thereof, a common pivot axis for said, sublever and vibratory lever, a reversely breaking actuating'coupling comprising a forward draw link anda forward thrust link operatively connecting the vibra tory lever and sublever, a forward border pivot connecting the draw link and thrust link, a backward border pivot connecting the rear end of the draw link to the rearwardly disposed Vertex of said vibratory lever intermediately the ends of the latter, an interior pivot connecting the upper arm of said sublever. to the rear end of the thrust link within the forward angular space of said vibratory lever, said elements forming normally an operative rigid connection between the key lever and type bar vibrating forwardly moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling simultaneously re- .turning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal position while the sublever remains in actuated position and key lever held depressed, means returning the interior pivot connecting the upper arm of said sublever and rear end of said draw link to its normal position within the forward angular space of said vibratory lever thereby returning said coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

9. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a key lever, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a biangular vibratory lever and a sublever independently rotatable ona common pivot axis, a reversely breaking actuating coupling operatively connecting the sublever and vibratory lever comprising elements relatively major and minor in length, said major element being a forward draw link curviformed upwardly and said minor element being a forward thrust link normally interlocked within the lower concave of said draw link mov ing the type bar to printing point upon depression of thekey lever, means moving said thrust link forwardly and downwardly out of interlocked position. reversely breaking said coupling after the printing impact of the type bar forreturning the vibratory lever and type bar to normaloperative position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said thrust link to normal interlocked position within" the concave of 10. In a type key action, a type bar, a key bar and key lever comprlsing a biangular viraani bra-tory leverand sublever independently r6 ,tatable about a common pivot, a reversely breaking actuating coupling operatively connecting the vibratory .lever and sublever comprising a forward draw link and a for ward thrust link operatively interlocked for moving the type bar to the printing point upon depression of the key lever, a trippet pandisposed across the machineabove the key lever communicating with the forward pivotal connection of said coupling, the cross section of said trippet pan being slightly inclined upwardly and forwardly divertingthe movement of said couplingiforwardly and upwardly out of said operative. interlocked lever independently rotatable about acom-" mon pivot, a revers ely breaking actuating connection comprlslng a forwarddraw link and a forward thrust link operatively connecting the vibratory lever and sublevermov ing the type bar to printing point upon'depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after the printing impact of the type bar for returning the vibratory lever and type bar to normal operative position while the key lever is in depressed position, actuating return levers corresponding in number with the ke levers pivoted intermediatelyof their en s on a fulcrum rod extending across the machine above the key levers, a frictionless roller bearing carried by the lower end of each actuating return lever communicating V with the upper rear edge of the key'lever, a frictionless roller bearing carried by the upper end of the actu atin'g return lever operating within the'upper rear angle space provided by the biangular' vibratory lever communicating with theupper rear edge of the forward draw link're storing theelements ofsaidcoupling to normal operative position upon release'ofthe key lever.

12. In a key action and mechanism, type J bar, a key lever having a lever angular space,

means operatively connecting thetype'bar and key lever comprising a biangtilarvibra- V I 'torylever and a sublever'independently rosaid draw link uponrelease of'the key lever.

tatable about a common pivot, meansoperatively connecting the vibratory'lever and sublever, means operativelyconnecting the type lever comprising a forward draw link and a.

printing point upon depression of the key lever, 21 key lever arrestor adjustable by a screw carried by a fixed bar arranged beneath the key lever across the machine within the lower angular space provided by the key lever and communicating withthe latter' limiting the downward movement of said key lever before the type bar has completed its incident of response and after impact of the type bar returning the latter to normal position relatively faster than the incident of response of said type bar, means restoring said sublever and coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

Signed at Fort Collins, in the county of Larimer and State of Colorado, this 24th day of Jan, A. D. 1928.

ORVILLE U. DESHA. 

